


It's a stretch (but baby it's true)

by Writerofthelorde



Series: An assortment of first kisses [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Caring, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fondness, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gentle Kissing, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Longing, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), Pining, Post-Canon, Sparring, Stretching, TLC, Tenderness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, True Love's Kiss, Yearning, caring Sokka, cursing, flirty sokka, gentle Sokka, hurt zuko, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerofthelorde/pseuds/Writerofthelorde
Summary: Zuko is sore after a long day of work and sparring. Sokka finds him sitting in the gardens in an odd position. That couldn't be comfortable. Maybe it was time for some TLC. Sokka was dying to show him some love anyway.Can be read in both canon verse as well as a modern setting.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: An assortment of first kisses [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928026
Comments: 12
Kudos: 218





	It's a stretch (but baby it's true)

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for language and mild hints towards sexual thoughts. I don't know how to tag that.

Zuko was in pain after he made the mistake of sparring at the end of a stressful day. He thought it would take his mind off things and make him feel less stressed. Instead, he found himself distracted by the day’s issues and got his ass kicked and now he was sore everywhere.

He found a quiet spot in the garden under a tree. He was far enough away from his usual spot at the turtle/duck pond that people wouldn’t find him, but close enough to still hear their splashing if he concentrated.

He decided to sit down and stretch his muscles and try to clear his mind.

When Sokka spotted him he was sitting in a weird position. He sat on his knees, his eyes closed and his head tilted to one side.

Was he asleep? Sokka slowly walked over, careful not to make a sound. When he stood in front of him he still hadn’t been noticed. He looked at the bulging muscle on his neck. His very.. available.. neck. Goodness did he want to explore that neck with his mouth. He shook his head. Not important right now.

Zuko was going to hurt himself if he kept sleeping like that. He slowly reached out and ran his fingers over the exposed skin.

Zuko cracked open an eye to see who it was, he had a feeling he knew, cause Sokka was the only one who really checked up on him like that. So when he saw that it was indeed him he closed his eye again. Sokka hadn’t even noticed.

The fingers on his neck slowly became a whole hand, a thumb caressing the muscle that was hurting him to most.

Zuko couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

“You’re not asleep,” Sokka mumbled when he saw the smile.

“Nah.”

Sokka brought his other hand up to his cheek and moved his head back to the normal position. “You’re going to hurt yourself.” He mumbled.

Zuko’s hair fell in his face and Sokka moved the hand on his neck to brush the hairs back and behind his ear. Zuko kept his eyes closed, focusing on the soft, warm touches. “I was stretching.”

Sokka’s fingers moved down to his neck and felt around the tensed muscles. When he moved his hands back up to cup his cheeks again Zuko still didn’t open his eyes.

“I’m going to stretch the other side now too.. if you’ll let me.”

Normally Zuko would’ve rolled his eyes, and Sokka would’ve laughed, but Zuko was too focused on the loving hands on his face, and Sokka was too focused on the heat of Zuko’s blushed skin.

Slowly, Zuko moved his head to the other side, stretching his sore muscles. Sokka’s gaze was locked on the open space. Oh, how we wanted to move in and press his lips against the soft skin. He just really wanted to make Zuko feel loved.

Sokka swallowed dryly. Zuko could hear it. He straightened up and finally opened his eyes. “Hey.” He whispered.

“Are you okay?” Sokka whispered back, combing his fingers through his hair so he could see his face again.

The older boy nodded. “Yeah just sore from sparring.”

Sokka gazed at him with so much love Zuko closed his eyes and shuddered. Hm, maybe the boy did have feelings for him…

They had been dancing around each other for a while now. They were very good friends, their personalities were both similar and different in ways that complimented each other. They were a good fit. Always joking, having fun, rolling their eyes at the other. Sokka flirted with him openly, as a joke, he said to Katara, who was totally onto him but didn’t tell him that.

Zuko always blushed and got flustered, but joked back, in a borderline rude way, he didn’t know how else to handle Sokka’s love. There was a lot of it. Both platonic and.. otherwise. Sokka was so full of love and he just had to let it out, or else he would _explode, Zuko..! I’d explode!_ So he was always close, always touching one way or another, always smiling and joking and _flirting_. It was a lot for Zuko to take in, but good god did he want the time to take it all in. He never wanted it to end.

Sokka moved Zuko’s head forward, his forehead leaning against his stomach. Zuko’s eyes were closed again as the other’s hands traveled down his spine. Sokka pinched and rubbed gently.

“Let me guess…” He started quietly, his fingers walking from his head down his spine, from vertebrae to vertebrae. He dragged his fingers back up. “The pain is worst…” He halted at a specific spot “here.” He pressed down.

Zuko moaned, both in pain and pleasure. “Oh fuck, Sokka..! Yes, that’s the spot..!” He exclaimed weakened from the pressure. He froze a moment later, his eyes wide as he stared at the ground.

“I’m going to ignore how vulgar that sounded.” Sokka’s tone was so damn amused.

Zuko felt even more embarrassed than a moment ago.

“Please.”

Oh god, why had he said that in such a disgustingly begging tone? He closed his eyes again, all too aware his face was awfully close to Sokka’s crotch. He ignored the chuckle that came out of Sokka at the sound of him begging.

Sokka, his brown skin now sporting a deep red glow, continued to massage the neck of his best friend. Was he aware of where his head was pressing into his lower stomach too? Absolutely, but he was trying his damn hardest not to think about that.

He quietly continued to test pressure points in his neck. Zuko tried his very hardest to keep in all the moans that tried their best to come out.

At one point Sokka pressed somewhere a little too good and Zuko’s breath burst out shakily. He grabbed onto Sokka’s calves to try and keep himself steady. They both swallowed heavily and stayed quiet.

Just a few seconds later Sokka was so distracted from the memory of that breath, and the feeling of warm fingers digging into his bare calves, he pressed in completely the wrong place.

Zuko’s reaction was to violently pull back, except he didn’t let go of Sokka’s legs first, resulting in him pulling his legs away from underneath him. Sokka flew backward hard and got the air knocked out of his lungs.

“Shit!” Zuko immediately moved to hover over him and check to see if he was alright. The fact that this meant that he had crawled on top of him and was sitting with his knees in between his legs, didn’t settle in until he saw Sokka look down. He watched Sokka bite his lip as he looked at their bodies so close together. His legs wide, Zuko in between, leaning over him.. parts of them… almost touching… The sight of Sokka biting his lip as he looked at where they were pretty much touching was _very_ hot. Double shit.

“Are you okay? You didn’t breathe for a second there.”

Sokka smirked up at him, his eyes were flirty, his tone even flirtier. “You swept me off my feet.”

Zuko, immediately even more flustered than a moment before, tried to move away, but Sokka’s hands instantly grabbed his wrists and kept him where he was.

“Why are you embarrassed?” He asked in a teasing voice.

“…b-because I just- I pulled your legs- you fell..!” He stuttered. The flirty look on Sokka’s face was too much for him.

“Why do I feel like that’s not the only reason?” For a split second Zuko watched hope flash through his eyes before his gaze went back to being flirty.

The flirty look instantly made him forget about the hope he just saw, and he fell back into embarrassment. He tried to embarrass Sokka in return.

“If anyone has embarrassing things on their mind, it’s you.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow, questioning him.

Zuko tried to smirk. “I might be embarrassed but you’re the one who’s blushing.” Zuko felt proud of himself for having a good comeback, but it didn’t last long.

Sokka caressed a single finger past his heated cheek, which instantly grew hotter. “So are you.”

“N-no I’m not.”

Sokka laughed quietly, fondly, charmingly. “You can’t lie about something I can see with my own eyes.”

“I can try.”

Sokka looked up at Zuko with what he hoped was a neutral expression. -It was not.- He was trying _so_ hard not to just admit that he loved him then and there.

They spent about a minute just lying there and looking at each other. Sokka reached up to his hair, thinking he was about to swat away a bug that was crawling on him, just to find Zuko’s hand.

How long had Zuko been playing with his hair? He had been thinking there was something in there for quite a few minutes now but, had figured that if it was anything bad Zuko would see it and tell him. But.. that had been Zuko the whole time..?

He left his hand on top of Zuko’s for a moment, checking to see if the older boy would pull away or make a comment about it. He did not. He just stared at Sokka’s eyes with a look that resembled a little something like what Sokka was feeling on the inside.

He reached up and cupped Zuko’s cheek. “You know…” He whispered, slowly sliding his hand to the back of his neck. He watched Zuko close his eyes and lean into the touch. “…there is another way to stretch your neck.”

Zuko’s eyes blinked open, slow, and deliberate. He allowed Sokka to pull him closer. He moved his arms down to lean on his forearms as their faces inched closer. His hands were automatically in Sokka’s hair and he decided to tangle his fingers in it once more.

“Are you stretching?” Sokka wondered breathily, eyes fixated on his lips.

“Almost…” Zuko uttered equally breathy. He licked his lips and watched Sokka’s lips be wetted as well.

Sokka continued to pull him in. Zuko would’ve moved in sooner if he wasn’t so damn mesmerised by the look in Sokka’s eyes.

When their lips were hovering over each other, a breath away from touching, Sokka paused. “Far enough?”

“Not yet,” Zuko whispered. It sounded pleading. _Not yet, please not yet, please let me lean closer, please let me kiss you._

Sokka gave a gentle pull just as Zuko leant in and their lips met just a fraction more harshly than either of them had planned, but they just couldn’t wait any longer. It was a quick, short peck. They both paused, their lips still touching but barely. Their mouths opened, both took in a shaky breath before pressing closer.

Sokka’s other arm wrapped around his back, pulling him closer as he finally, finally, _finally_ kissed him. His lips felt impossibly soft against his own. His hair felt soft as it fell in his face. His hands were soft on his scalp. His breaths were soft on his skin.

_Soft soft soft soft soft_

Sokka opened his mouth in a soft moan and Zuko _licked_ along the inside of his lip. Sokka’s heart was on fire. He decided he wanted nothing more than to feel the inside of the other’s mouth. He slipped in his tongue swiftly and Zuko let out a quiet moan as well.

Good grief Sokka had been missing out. Kissing girls was great, but kissing Zuko… there was nothing like it. There was no word that could describe how this felt. Or how _he_ felt.

Zuko couldn’t believe it was finally happening. He loved how Sokka was pulling him closer. He loved how he was arching to get himself closer too. He loved the way he smelled. He loved the way he _tasted_. He loved the way he felt.

He loved and loved and loved and loved.

He had to push himself away from the boy beneath him because he kept trying to tell him he loved him with his tongue in the wrong mouth… or rather the very right mouth.. it just made it hard to speak.

“I love you.”

He kissed him again instantly. Deeply.

_I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you_

Sokka’s head wouldn’t shut up. He had to push him away and when he looked at him he did _not_ have tears in his eyes. He was not lying on the cold, wet dirt with tears in his eyes because the guy he was in love with said he loved him. Absolutely not.

“I love you, too.”

The tears slipped out of his eyes and Zuko leant over to kiss his eyelids the second they closed.

It didn’t matter that he was emotional, or that they were maybe a little bit early with those words. It didn’t matter that they were in a compromising position, on the cold, wet ground. It didn’t even matter that Katara was definitely watching them by now, or that they heard her sniffle quietly.

“I love you, Sokka.”

Sokka rolled his eyes with the biggest smile he remembered ever smiling. He kissed him gently, deeply, slowly.

“I love you, Zuko.” He whispered to his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know your thoughts! <3 
> 
> Also, if you don't mind, I'd like people's opinions on how to post a 35k-word fic. Should I post it in chapters spread out through a couple of days or just post the whole thing in one go? 
> 
> Thank you! <3


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